Chapter 47: Chapter 47

HARD SHIP LIFE

"I'm going to heat up this dirty pig's head..."

I put a soothing hand on Armin's tense upper arm. We sat in the canteen among all the other men. There was smoke everywhere and a horrible smell of beer and sweat. Armin held a beer mug in his hand and glared angrily at Arthur, who was laughing and drinking with friends and whores.

He had rolled up his shirt to the elbows, wore the typical high boots that all sailors wear and wore a dark red headscarf. His typical braid and some strands of black hair peeked out.

I had adapted as well and started to wear somewhat loose blouses. "You're too loud, Armin."

"I'm not. I'm way too calm."

"Don't show him that his nonsense does the least bit for you."

Armin turned his head to me with a wolfish grin. "What do I want to get my hands on that bastard."

I purposely pressed his sore rib.

"The fight from three days ago wasn't enough, huh?" It had actually come to that after only a week on the ship. Hardly a day went by on which the two didn't fight and spend almost five hours in a punishment cell in which they continued to fight until one came, separated them and everything started all over again.

Armin flinched almost imperceptibly. "He's still breathing, isn't he? Leave it, be so good..."

So my hand dropped back into my lap. My gaze wandered to Jacob and Ari. They sat on benches not far from their new handlers and entertained them at least as darkly as Armin and I did.

In fact, the captain had decided to put the two ten-year-olds under the thumb of some men who would make sure they did their jobs.

They slept in the cabin next to ours, but we often only saw them at dinner. Maybe also because Armin still didn't really know how to deal with them.

"Don't say it, Isabella... please!" growled Armin, exhausted.

"They are both unhappy, Armin..."

"You shouldn't say it..."

"Look at those two..."

He clicked his tongue in exasperation. "You brought it on yourself. And I have no intention of feeling sorry for her." When I looked at him a little piqued, he rolled his eyes. "Lake life is not as glorious as the life of a lord's son? Who would have thought?"

“Arin and Jacob always laughed a lot. Both of them had to work hard in the past. Why can't you do that anymore all of a sudden?" I knew that Armin wasn't looking so closely on purpose. He was too resentful and probably treated them to a juicy disappointment.

"Ask her..." he murmured into his beer, whereupon I poked his sore rib and stood up.

Almost immediately, Ari drew Jacob's attention to me and they both ended their conversation. "Hey boys."

Jacob smiled mirthlessly. "Hey. Where are you going?"

"I thought I'd go out for a bit. My head will hurt soon. Do you want to go with me?"

Jac answered a little too quickly. "Not me, but Ari. He complains all the time..."

From Arin's grumpy look, I figured he probably hadn't really intended to do that. Nevertheless he followed me.

After dinner, the sailors made one last tour and then found themselves back in the canteen. Armin had hoped to meet Isabella here, but in fact only his great cousin Ari came with his supervisor Griffin. He had just become a father for the first time and was therefore soft as butter to Ari.

At least so soft that he didn't hit out at every mistake but yelled at and insulted him. But that was easier to shake off than a punch.

After his third beer, Armin knew that Isabella wasn't going back to the canteen. Just as he was about to leave and slurp into his cabin, the captain threw open the door. Leonhard Durham scanned the rows of men. "Who checked the masts?"

Before Armin could answer, Arthur's cheerful voice heard, "Campbell, Captain!"

Leonhard came a step further into the room. The dim light showed the long braided whip in his hand. "Where is he?"

All eyes were on Armin. Some gloating, some pitying... He himself was shocked. His head felt like it was under water as he stood up.

Leonhard smiled ghostly. "Really, is it you? Didn't you notice that three ropes are totally screwed? What are you checking it for if you're not fixing bugs?"

Armin didn't understand a word, as if the captain had spoken Spanish. Because when he had checked everything, everything had been fine. A dreadful suspicion came over him. "Sir, the ropes were in pristine condition."

"Come with me, lad. I'll show you."

So Armin followed the bearded man to one of the masts. In fact, there were worn ropes at the foot of the trunk... But they hadn't been there before...

Just wait you bastard was all Armin thought. While a cluster of men and whores formed behind him. Leonhard snapped his whip as a test. "Come on, to the mast. Tie him up."

Although every fiber in his body screamed in fear that he should defend himself, he retained his dignity and let himself be done with.

"Did your father ever hit you, boy? Believe me, I'll top it all." The Angry Captain snarled.

Armin didn't know much about the guy. He had a bunch of kids in England. Apart from that, all that the man under eagle eyes demanded was precise order and conscientious work. Otherwise something happened that was about to happen to Armin...

"What shoud that!?"

Armin's head snapped up. Isabella... no...

"Go away, dolly!" laughed one guy. "Go to the other whores."

Then Isabella was heard to punch the guy and his friends burst out laughing. Yes, it's good to have a laugh, you pigs... Armin thought darkly.

Then Isabella finally appeared in his field of vision. Expectedly appalled. "Armin, what's going on here? Did you guys fight again?"

Armin forced himself to smile. "You forbidden it."

"Armin." grumbled his beautiful Spaniard.

Almost hysterically, he began to giggle mirthlessly. "I'm getting a good shit on here, senorita."

Isabella didn't say anything, she probably didn't know what.

"Don't watch. Promise me that."

"This isn't fair..."

"Isabella, go to the cabin." He urged with more force.

The young Spaniard looked helpless. She was doing her best not to feel sorry for him, but she was obviously scared. She nodded, turned and left.

Then Armin heard the whistle of the whip in the air and this funny deaf state disappeared.

I will be whipped! I'm being whipped here for no reason!, he thought, stunned.

Akay bared his teeth, but Armin didn't give him any orders. What should it help?

The first blow went left to right down his back and ripped his shirt. Out of shock he didn't feel anything at first. On the second slash, he felt the welts ignite under his skin...

MAJOR REMINDER

Armin sat in the barn and hastily wiped his cheeks. A little confused, because actually he should still be at sea.

"What were you thinking, boy?" his mother grumbled darkly next to him. That's when he knew it was just a dream... Her long blonde hair was braided and rested on her shoulder. Her stern look was more like Worried. She knelt down to him. "When are you going to learn that Arthur Moor isn't a good friend, Armin?"

"But mother," he heard his own child's voice. "He just hasn't learned any better."

"He ratted you out to your father and quickly got the hell out of there, Armin! You had to take the blame for things you both did."

The then boy averted his eyes in annoyance. "Father punishing me has nothing to do with Arthur!"

If only he had taken it more seriously back then...

His mother's big warm hand turned his head back to her. "It's your choice, child. But I advise you; think what Arthur gains from having to pay for your pranks alone."

Carefully and with the utmost care, I dabbed the blood from Armin's back while he was still asleep. And because I did that with alcohol, he probably wouldn't sleep much longer.

He was awake and came into the cabin all alone, closed the door behind him, fell face down on the bed and just fell asleep. But he had made it here without help and without further humiliation.

Jacob and Ari were here briefly, but I didn't let them come in and look at his back. Something told me that Armin would like that.

In fact, pretty soon he snapped his head up and was wide awake. "You woke me up better than that."

"Sorry, I thought I'd better make sure it doesn't catch fire."

Absently, my red knight nodded and rested his head on his arm. The hair on the back of his neck was damp with sweat, like his bangs. And that's just because of ropes...

"A cheek... Only because of such stupid ropes."

Armin growled a little softly. "There has to be order." He mocked the captain. "Maybe he's right somewhere. But I didn't overlook the ropes."

"You're not saying that Arthur... are you?"

Armin's eyes rolled in my direction. "Who else would have such insanely good fun seeing me like this? It wouldn't be the first time he's ridden me in and stood in the front row to feast on the aftermath."

I tossed my handkerchief aside and promptly got up. "Then let's buy this pig, damn it!"

My devastated husband smiled wearily. "You're welcome, senorita. Go ahead."

"Are you mocking me?"

"We have no evidence, otherwise I would have explained everything to the captain right away." Again with a gloomy expression, he closed his eyes.

I shrugged and sat down next to him on the bed again. What should he get out of it? Maybe he's just an ugly who's targeting his childhood friend because he's a little screwed up?

What else is there?

So we pondered for a while until Armin shook his head and drank the cup of wine I had brought him. "He's not getting away from me like that anyway."

"Do you have any idea what we should do now? Because Armin, if he did it once, maybe he'll do it again."

"Quite sure, even. But I'm just waiting for that."

"A trap?"

"Sort of." He smiled crookedly. "My plan isn't quite ready yet. Anyway, we should be in Wales by midday tomorrow. We both do what we came here to do and don't let it show. By that I mean, that Everything has to remain top secret. If only one suspects, we'll have real problems."

One look at Armin's back and I wasn't quite sure of our case anymore. How should it work with this injury?

"And then I'll grab myself somehow. And then it will be settled, Arthur Moor."

WALES

It was only after noon that we arrived at a Welsh port. Of course he had a name, but I couldn't figure out how to pronounce it. Especially since I couldn't quite make out whether it was the name of the man greeting Captain Durham or that of the port.

I didn't really care either. I had completely different concerns. From Armin's bad back to his vengeance on Arthur. He had expected that and quite deliberately raged around us in order to provoke Armin Best as much as possible.

"He wants me to make a bad impression on Durham again. Because if a sailor annoys the captain too often, he's fired."

"And what do you intend to do?"

"What is it, senorita? I ignore him as best I can. So that he is the first to be noticed."

A little puzzled, I stopped in the middle of the preparations for the shore leave and stared at him.

"Is that supposed to be your brilliant plan? As the saying goes: "Whoever digs a pit for others falls into it himself."

Armin, still with stiff movements while getting dressed, shrugged his shoulders forlornly. "What am I supposed to do? Up to now I've hardly missed an opportunity to jump for his jugular. Short; to stand out. And since Durham isn't going to let me out of his sights that easily right now, I have to find a way to make myself look better. What better way to do that than to let good Arthur have a good time so that everyone can make their own picture of good Knight Moor?"

"A very shaky undertaking. How do you think you can prevent another... flogging like this?"

I left when Armin asked me to. But I wasn't stupid. I still saw him in front of me, pressed against the mast. Heard the muffled lashes of the whip through the wall. It felt like every punch brought more tears to my eyes.

Just the thought of seeing or hearing Armin exposed to something like that again scared me and it almost killed me to see him like that now. With a twisted face when he thought I wasn't seeing. With stiff movements and sudden stop to suppress the pain. It was terrible.

Armin came towards me slowly but with strong strides. As if he wasn't humiliated yesterday and as if some welts weren't still bleeding.

He lifted his warm hand to my cheek and smiled his prettiest smile, with the adorable dimple.

"I won't let it get that far, I promise you. You're right, the plan is shaky. But all I can do right now. I said yes yesterday; a trap."

Because of those stupid wounds, I didn't dare hug him. So I just put my hand on his, which was still on my cheek.

"And what do you have planned in Wales?"

Grinning, he attempted a gallant gesture to usher me outside, but faltered as he bent a little and grinned mischievously. I liked the look at his pirate headscarf and his braid. Until I remembered why he was grinning like that.

We stepped out of the cabin in silence, followed the others off the ship with a few sacks in our hands, and then made our escape inconspicuously. Like a shadow, the black knight's son melted into the first shady alley that came along.

We crept down every seedy alleyway until it felt like we were walking in circles.

"Armin, dammit, where are we going?"

“We are looking for what is available in every port city. A funny dive."

"What? I thought we were stealing..."

He looked at me with an expression dripping with sarcasm. "You didn't seriously think that such little pickpocket tricks would get our castle through the winter."

No of course not. But I was expecting something like forking barrels or cattle...

I turned my head away and shrugged. "Unlike the Campbell brothers, who are known to bend the law and break it, I have no experience with criminal tendencies!"

"Say my name a little louder. If any of these professional thieves hear I'm a lord, they'll assassinate us here."

We sneaked around for a while until I got back to the topic that was annoying Armin the most. But my gut feeling rarely clouded me. So it just had to be discussed.

"When was the last time you saw Jac? I thought he might be a little excited today. But I didn't even see him. You?"

He snorted. "No."

“By the way, I hardly see Ari either. And when they do, the boys usually fight."

"Isabella, I don't feel like talking about those two again."

"But-"

Suddenly he stopped and finally eyed me with his nerves. "No, let it be, okay? Finally! I don't care what they're going through. I don't want any pity on them. Absolutely not. Especially since we won't be on the road for three months. I have so much to think about. From the problems of our castle to this ass bog."

Armin took a deep breath and tilted his head back.

“You wanted it that way, Isabella. I can't worry about them." Now he looked at me again. "I always check if they are still on the board and breathing. The rest they have to survive somehow."

Even if he was right, I worried.

"Armin-"

And just as I was about to say something, we heard a pitcher shatter and a door swing open. A man yelled something in Welsh. Then a fat man, probably in his forties, fell to the ground in front.

The Welshman who was ranting stood over him, waving a broken blade. The guy on the ground nonchalantly raised his arms beside his head. "Man, I don't understand what you want..."

The Welshman then spat in his face, turned and disappeared. I wanted to exchange a look with Armin, but he looked down at the fat guy as if he had found what he was looking for.

Before I could understand, he drew his sword and laid it at the fat one's throat.

THE RED SIDE OF THE KNIGHT

Armin smiled wolfishly. "How much money do you have with you?"

The fat guy who had just landed in front of us seemed to have lost his big mouth and didn't say a word.

"Come on, we both know you've got something with you."

The man wanted to shake his head. Then he felt Armin's blade tearing at a skin and stopped again.

The red knight grinned and leaned a little closer to the drunk's ear. "I know you speak my language. So? do you want to say something Otherwise I'll mute you for good and take your tongue out of your throat."

"No!" he croaked hoarsely. Then he cleared his throat and made eye contact with me. "I honestly don't have a cent with me! Otherwise I wouldn't have been kicked out of the pub."

Trying casually, because I still had no idea what Armin was up to, I looked at Armin. He looked like a stray cat in front of a bucket of milk.

"Then how are you going to buy your way out of here?" Armin growled.

The fat came in trouble. "I... I don't know! I don't have anything you'll like!"

"Well, your shoes are interesting." I murmured. To Armin's surprise.

"Excuse me!?" our hostage flared up.

"You heard you lady, fatso. Take off your shoes."

And because he hesitated, Armin scratched his unshaven neck lightly. When I had the shoes in front of me, Armin stood up and pointed the blade at the hostage.

"And now you will tell me what such a venerable Englishman is doing here, my lord. Dark deals?"

"I do not know what you mean!"

"Honestly not? Sir Scott?"

The guy froze. "Now you're going to kill me... how did you... how?"

Armin pointed to the fat hand. "The signet ring, my lord. So?"

Sir Scott seemed confused beyond measure. He stared at his ring, on the verge of tears. "Never mind... I have a young daughter, she's getting married soon. She needed a dowry... don't hurt me..."

"Whineer!" snapped Armin. Completely unimpressed.

"What does a lord from England seek in the dark lanes of Wales? What deals!?!"

Scott flinched and stared at the floor in front of Armin. Like a scolded child. "I'm meeting a man at the port who will take my yarn."

"At what time?"

"Three pounds."

Armin raised an eyebrow. "Where's the wool?"

Scott shook his head. "Don't take her away from me! My daughter..."

"Shut your lying mouth! Maggy's been married January and you're not as poor as you pretend!"

Scott got mad. "Who are you!? How do you know that!?"

Armin clicked his tongue impatiently and slashed at Scott with the hilt of his sword. "Where's the fucking wool, Mylord!?"

"To a dockside warehouse..." Blood dripped from the noble mouth of the fat knight at our feet.

Armin held out his hand. "Give me the pickup ticket."

Scott wrestled with himself. Armin held the tip of his red blade to his thick neck. A little blood moistened them.

"Bring it on, Harris. Otherwise you won't be doing business for a long time."

Sir Scott blinked in surprise, dug into a pouch on his waist and handed it to Armin. He looked it over and grinned. He patted the plump cheek.

"Good knight." Suddenly he slammed the pommel of his sword against his temple, causing Harris Scott to fall unconscious, hopefully. "You're a damn disgrace, for a knight."

With complete peace of mind, he cleaned his sword, sheathed it, and walked with me onto a public street. Here it was much busier and with more daylight.

Amin was like a different person. And I still felt like I was in the wrong movie. His large hand grabbed mine. "Don't look like we just knocked down a knight."

"Armin, that was..." His big, dark eyes looked at me innocently. It threw me off the hook. "I honestly didn't expect that..."

My crime husband smiled his dimpled smile. "Have you been scared? I wouldn't have hurt him."

"So you recognized him?"

"Harrison Scott. He owns sheep and cattle and hardly ever moves his fat ass other than to the toilet."

"And you recognized him in that dim light?"

"You seem to forget that I am still a lord's son. And a knight at that. One knows the seals and coats of arms of his English friends. Although Scott rarely shows up anywhere at festivals. Not because, like Campbell's, he doesn't have friends in the Royal Houses, but because he never fits in his armor."

"Was it wise to call him by his name?" Won't he recognize you somehow?"

Armin shrugged. "I don't think so. And if he later finds out who stole his shoes and three pounds, he'll have no proof."

He picked up the boots in his hand.

"What do you actually want with that?"

I shrugged my shoulders as well. "Sell or whatever. But thieves always take the boots."

With a jerky movement, Armin pulled me to his side and put a hand around my waist as I walked.

"I'm proud of you, senorita. You're a thief!"

We studied the pick-up slip and found the warehouse with the wool before it got completely dark. Shortly thereafter we met a one-eyed bandit who didn't ask long and accepted the wool. Armin pushed the price up to three and a half pounds. We took the boots on board and locked them in our compartment.

Back in our cabin, Armin collapsed into a chair and downed half a wineskin in one gulp. Akay looked up at him nervously.

"What are you doing? Are you in pain?" Even before Armin answered, I took off his shirt and stared at his back. The welts had burst open again and blood was running down his back. "By God..."

Armin grinned, trying to be calm. "Only welts, senorita. Nothing you don't know."

I slapped his arm impatiently. "Stop these games, Armin! Open wounds are no joke. What if it gets infected and you get a fever? You're going to die from this!"

But already stopped listening to me, got up and emptied the rest of the hose.

He staggered to the bed, fell unwieldy on it, and growled.

Well, the open welts had to be washed out. I would have to do that again, so he should sleep soon and soundly.

I packed a wine purchase, poured a goblet and walked over to his bed. "Here, drink until you sleep."

Armin shook his head. "No. I'm good."

"Oh heavens, Armin! Drink! Come on!"

"No! Just let them heal on their own!"

"You!" I stared at him angrily. The drunk guy who destroyed a whole wineskin in two swallows on an empty stomach. He stared back stubbornly.

"Drink."

"No."

"Armin!"

"Isabella."

"You are impossible!"

He grinned rudely and rested his head on his hands, ignoring my presence. Just unbelievable. But there was no point in sitting here, so I decided to get us something to eat.

GUILT

He wasn't sure if he should, but he had to. He couldn't help it. So he knocked softly on the cabin door and pushed it open. "Armin?"

He saw him lying on the bed, alone. So he stepped on him and immediately recoiled. His back was smeared with blood...

Then he remembered what he wanted here and sat down next to Armin on the bed. "Armin? Armin, wake up..."

"I don't drink..." the older one growled.

"What?" The boy looked at the empty wineskin in the older man's hand. "You already did... Please, wake up..."

Armin lifted his head and looked at the boy in confusion. "Arin... what are you doing here?"

"It's because of Jacob."

Armin didn't move a muscle.

"Please don't be angry with him anymore." Ari was nervous. He knew Jacob would hate him for it. But what had to be had to be done. "Jacob is bad..."

Armin shrugged his shoulders. A wound burst open and blood trickled out. But his gaze remained expressionless. He looked a lot like his namesake, Arin, when he looked like that.

"So he's homesick."

"God, if only it were that... Armin, he's in pain and I think he's addicted to something."

Suddenly Armin's facial expression changed. Although the wounds must have hurt, he sat up abruptly and grabbed Ari by the arm. "What are you saying!? dependent on what?"

"I... I'm not sure, Armin. I think his supervisor gave him something. And whenever Jacob is to be punished, terrible things happen to him, which he doesn't want to tell me. And after that he's terribly shaky and almost... docile. Until he gets back what makes him so dependent."

Armin painfully closed his eyes.

"Where's Jacob. I want to see him right away. How is he now?"

"He's in rehab again. This time he's suffering worse than usual."

"Bring him here. I can not leave."

Ari wasn't thrilled that he had to somehow explain to Jacob why his brother suddenly wanted to see him. But that's how it was all supposed to end.

Armin let go of Ari. "And you're okay?"

Ari thought of Jacob. "Mmm... yet."

Then he set off.

It was all his fault. Why had Armin also insisted that Jacob had to earn his own living here!? What kind of brother was he? A big brother had to be a protector. He mustn't throw his little brother into misfortune. And now he was dependent... God, he would never forgive himself for that...

Isabella tried to talk him out of it, insisting that Armin couldn't know something like this was happening. But that didn't help. Armin was convinced that he should have known!

He couldn't swallow a bite of Isabella's food. When Jacob then knocked, his mind was swept empty. Now his curiosity was greater.

His otherwise cheerful and cheeky little brother indicated a bow before entering the room. Noticing Armin's scowl, he blushed and faked a smile. "A new habit."

At first Armin thought that Jacob probably didn't know that Ari had enlightened Armin. But Ari had a swollen eye. So Jac just dubbed.

The silence made the boys uncomfortable. His fingers were shaking and sweat beaded his forehead.

"So you're not angry anymore, brother?"

"No."

"Then why do you look like you're going to jump at my throat?"

"And why do you look like you're scared of me?"

Jacob raised his eyebrows. "Well, look at you."

"Like I ever did anything to you..."

Jacob grinned mirthlessly. "No, but I've never let you down like that before."

Armin crossed his arms. "You know perfectly well that I know."

Jacob rolled his eyes. Untypically annoyed by Armin.

“Arin was just exaggerating, Armin. You know I'm cheeky easily. Even father often loses patience with me. And strangers especially. So... it's all normal by my standards."

Armin wanted to scream. How could you be so young, already so unbearably proud!? "And the shaking? Withdrawal?"

Jacob wanted to say something again, but Armin waved him off.

"Leave it. You stay here. You're not going to see that ass tomorrow... What was his name?"

But the boy said nothing and stared stubbornly at Armin's boots. Arin for that cleared his throat. "Grand, Armin. Mory Grand."

Jacob spun around and punched Arin's chin, shaking harder than before. "You are a lousy pig! You promised!"

"I had to do it, Jacob! Armin can help you!"

"But I didn't want that!"

"But you can't do it alone!"

Something boiled over in Jacob. Although Armin expected his strong-willed little brother to pounce on Arin, he only began to cry weakly. He just didn't have the strength. "You do not know that."

Armin walked over to Jac and put a hand on his small shoulders, forcing him to look at Armin. "Stay here. Eat something and build a straw camp. You sleep here until we get back to England."

Tears streamed down Jac. "No! I do not need it!"

"No. That you don't need as much as anything else, do you?"

Jacob felt embarrassed and looked down. Mory Grand would have to pay for that. And that damn expensive.

Ari quietly followed Armin, Jac stayed behind with me. He angrily wiped his cheeks and wanted to rush towards the door, but as agreed, Armin had locked it from the outside.

The boy spun around in shock. "He's locking me up?"

"Just for now." I tried to explain calmly.

"How come? What does he think I can do?"

"Run to Mory and ask for your poison."

Caught, Jac's jaw dropped. His trembling started.

He whispered incredibly softly. "Let me go Isabella. Please. I'm in pain, I need this stuff."

"I am sorry-"

Suddenly the boy grabbed the chair by the door and threw it across the room. "Let me out!"

An uncontrolled tremor came over him, his gaze reminded me of a wild animal.

I stood up calmly and slowly approached him. "I'm sorry, Jac. That will not do."

He pushed me, rattled the door and kicked it.

I let his anger rage for a while, then his knuckles started bleeding. So I grabbed his wrists, crossed his arms and hugged his small back to me. He screamed and fought back for a few agonizing moments. Then he began to weep heartrendingly and plead...

I was glad that Armin didn't give me the key.